Forms decollator



Sept' 10, 1957 e. E. SORNBERGER FORMS DECQLLATOIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMarch so, 1954 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Sept. 10, 1957 e. E. SORNBERGER FORMSDECOLLATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 30, 1954 INVENTOR ATTORNEYSUnited States Patent FORMS DECOLLATOR George Emerson Sornberger,Sanborn, N. Y., assignor to Moore Business Forms, Inc., Niagara Falls,N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March 30, 1954, Serial No.419,841 a 8 Claims. (Cl. 271-21 This invention relates to deeollatingmachines and more particularly to machines for separating individualtransfer or carbon strips and record sheets from long continuousinterfolded strips of carbon and record paper.

The general object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedmachine of this general type in which a packet of zigzag interfoldedstrips of record and transfer material is automatically fed through theseparating mechanism with the record sheets being automatically refoldedin zigzag folded packets.

Many machines of this general type have been developed in which aplurality of separating and collecting mechanisms are provided, however,for the most part, those machines are rather complex as well as costlyto construct. It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention toprovide a decollating machine which is simpler and less expensive inconstruction and in which a single transfer sheet and record sheets aredecollated, or by multiple runs, any reasonable number of record andtransfer sheets are separated.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a machine ofthis general type in which the packet of interfolded strips which are tobe separated lies in a plane above the refold platforms with frictionrolls being provided to assist in moving and guiding the strips to theirrespective refolding platforms.

In the preferred embodiment, the invention contemplates the provision ofa generally frusto-pyramidal frame having a feed shelf lying between theside members or panels thereof with two of the mutually facing inclinedside-members extending above the feed shelf. A plurality of frictionrolls are mounted adjacent the upper ends of these extended sideportions and means are provided to drive the rolls. The individualrecord and transfer sheets are threaded over the rolls and guided alongthe inclined side members to refold platforms which extend outwardlyfrom these side members and lie in a plane below the feeding shelf.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following moredetailed description of one embodiment of the present invention whenread in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Fig. l is a rear elevational view showing a decollating machineembodying the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 33 of Figure1.

Figure 5 is a front elevational view showing the upper portion of thepresent structure;

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken along lines 66 of Figure5; and

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 77 of Figure 5.

Referring particularly to Figure l, the main frame, which is designatedgenerally by the reference numeral 10, is of a generallyfrusto-pyramidal configuration and comprises inclined side panels 11 and12, a base member ice 13, a front panel 14 and a back panel 15. In thepreferred embodiment, the frame is made of sheet metal, however, it willbe understood that other similar materials could equally as well beused. The side panels 11 and 12 terminate at their lower ends inin-turned flange portions 16 and 16' respectively, while the front andback panels terminate in in-turned flange portions 17 and 17respectively. The base member 13 is supported on these flanged portionsand secured thereto by bolts 18 or the like. It is apparent that anynumber of these securing bolts can be used as may be necessary torigidly secure the base to the upstanding panels. Secured to the underside of the frame preferably adjacent the four corners thereof are thefeet 19 and 20, two of these being shown in Figures 1 and 2. These feetcan be secured to the frame in any suitable manner as for example bymeans of the base-securing bolts 18.

The front and rear panels of the frame can be made in a single piece orin two pieces secured togethe'r along the center line 10 by any suitablemeans such as welding or the like. The front panel 14 is cut away at itsupper end at a slightly downwardly inclining angle, while the back panel15 extends the full height of the machine. A feed shelf 21 terminates indownwardly extending flanges 22 and 23 and is secured to the side, back,and front panels, adjacent the top of the front panel, by any suitablemeans such as welding or the like.

As can be seen particularly in Figures 1 and 5, the in clined sidepanels 11 and 12 extend above the front panel and terminate in ears orflanges 24 and 25 respectively adjacent the forward edges of these sidepanels. These flanges 24 and 25 extend inwardly toward the verticalcenter of the main frame to a point just short of meeting. An elongatedhorizontal supporting bar 27 is secured at the front of the main frameto the flanges 24 and 25 by any suitable means such as screws or bolts28, with a second horizontal supporting bar 27' being secured in a likemanner to the back panel 15. Portions of these supporting bars extendbeyond the side frame member 11 with their extended ends being securedto the in-turned flange portions 29 of guide member 30.

A pair of rollers 31 and 32 are mounted on shafts 33 and 34 respectivelywhich are suitably journalled between the elongated supporting bars 27and 27 These rollers 31 and 32 lie in close proximity to each other withtheir peripheries lying adjacent the vertical center line of the frontand back panels. A third roller 35 is positioned more remote from thefirst two mentioned rollers and is mounted on a shaft 36, which shaft isalso suitably journalled in the supporting bars 27 and 27 adjacent theirextended ends.

A pair of refold platforms 37 and 37 are secured adjacent the lower endsof side panels 11 and 12 respectively by any suitable means such aswelding. These platforms form an angle of slightly less than with theupper portions of side panels 11 and 12 and have mounted thereonadjustable guide brackets 38 and 39. These brackets are conventionallymounted for adjustment as for example by means of bolts 40 and 41carried by these brackets and extending through elongated slots in theplatforms 37 and 37.

The friction rolls 31, 32 and 35 are driven by means of a motor 42, thedrive being transmitted from the stub shaft 43 of the motor by anyconventional means such as belts and pulleys. In the embodiment shown, apulley 44 is secured to the end of stub shaft 43 the drive being throughbelt 45 to a pulley 46 which is mounted on a shaft 47 journalled to themain frame. Drive is transmitted from the shaft 47 to the respectiveshafts 33, 34 and 36 by means of a belt 48 running over pulleys 57 and58 carried by shafts 34 and 36 and in contact with the under side of apulley 56 carried on shaft 33. It can be seen therefore that rolls 32and 35 will be rotated in a counterclockwise, direction as viewed inFigure 1 while roll 31 will rotate in a clockwise direction. The speedof rotation of therolls .can be regulated by any suitable mOtO1'1CGDtIO1Sl1Ch-3S -.that shown in co-pending application Serial-No. .4l9,883,filed March 30, 1954, andshownin thepresent drawings in diagrammaticform at .49. V 7

As can be seenin Figure-1, aninterfolded strip of continuous transferand record material is placed'in a zigzag-foldedpack 5,0 onvthe feedplatform 21. It should be pointed out that the use of record sheetsthroughout this application ,generically refers to both .the originaland copysheets. The first record sheet '51 is threaded over-the roll-31while the first transfer sheet 52 is V threaded-oventhe roller 35. lnthe event that only one set of record sheets: are to 'beseparated, theremaining record'sheet 53: is threaded ,ove r-theroller 32, while in theevent that a plurality .of record sheets andtransfer strips are to beseparated, the remaining record sheets and transfer strips wouldlikewise .be threaded over the roller 32. It is readily apparent,therefore, that in operation, the continuous interfolded strip isadvanced from the pack Silby means of the friction rolls 31, 32 and 35anddue to the .fact that the rolls 31 and 32 lie in close proximity toeach other, no appreciable separation takes place until the strips startover these rolls. The first record sheet .51 is guided along the sideframe member 12 to the refolding shelf 37' where it is refolded into azigzag pack 54, and atthe same time, the first transfer sheet 52 isguided by the .panel 30 downwardly into a collecting receptacle notshown. Meanwhile, the second record sheet 53 or as the case may be, theremaining transfer and record sheets, are guided by side frame member 11onto the refolding shelf 37 where they are refolded into a zigzag packv55. This refolding is insured due to the inclination of shelf 37 at anangle of less than 90 with respect to the side frame panels 11 and 12.It will be understood, of course, that in the event that more than 2record and 1 transfer sheets are to be separated, the remaining packet55 can again be placed on the feed shelf 21 and the operation repeatedas many times as necessary until all of the record and transfer sheetsare separated.

From the foregoing description of the present decollating mechanism andthe operation thereof, it is apparent that applicant has eliminated manycomplex and costly features inhis present invention and provided amachine which is not only economically feasible but is efiicient andpractical in operation.

Having thus described the invention, what-is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A mechanism for separating strips of material from a zigzag foldedpack of material made up of a plurality of strips, said mechanismcomprising means for supporting said pack, strip separating meanspositioned above said pack, and strip collecting and refolding meanspositioned below said separating means, said collecting and refoldingmeans comprising a side wall extending upwardlyand a platformextendingoutwardly and upwardly from said side wall.

2. Aseparating mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which said side wallinclines inwardly toward said separating means and away from saidplatform as it extends upwardly from said platform.

3. A mechanism for separating and collecting the component strips ofmaterial from a pack of continuous laminated multiple strips of saidmaterial, which comprises a supporting frame having two laterally spacedupright side panels, supporting means for said pack of laminatedmultiple strips carried by said frame and disposed inwardly of andbetween said panels, a strip separator disposed above said-packsupporting means and adjacent the upper endsof said side panels, saidstrip separator having separate means to receive and separate saidstrips from each other and discharge certain of said strips over the topof one of said side panels and other of said strips in the oppositedirection over the top of the other side panel, and means supported bysaid frame outwardly of each of said panels for collectingthe-respective separated strips.

4. The mechanism as set forth in claim 3 in which the strip separatingmeans comprises a pair of parallel substantially horizontally disposedrolls rotatably mounted at the upper endsvof said side panels, saidrolls being spaced a short distance apartand adapted to receive themultiple strip of material between them, with certain'of saidcomponentstrips guided over one of said rolls and over the top of oneside panel and other of said strips guided over the other roll and overthe top of the opposite side panel. 7 v

5. The mechanism as set forth in claim 4 wherein said rolls are disposedin the same horizontal plane and in relatively close proximity to eachother to receive the multiple strip rather closely between them so thatthey are not substantially parted before entering between the rolls forseparation.

6. The mechanism as set forth in claim 3 in which the side panels areinclined slightly upwardly and inwardly toward each other to form asomewhat frusto-pyramidal framework, and also whereby the separatedstrips discharged by the respective rolls over the tops of the panelsare guided by the downwardly and outwardly sloping walls of the panelsto their respective collecting means.

7. The mechanism as set forth in claim 4 in which a third rollsubstantially parallel to the other two is positioned laterallyoutwardly of one of the. first named rolls and of the panel adjacentsaid first named roll, said third roll adapted to receive a stillfurther separated strip constituting an intermediate lamination of theoriginal multiple strip pack and discharge it at a point further fromsaid side panel and outwardly of one of said first named stripcollecting means.

8. The mechanism as .set forth in claim 4 wherein the multiple strippacksupporting means comprises a shelf supported by said side panels atan intermediate point vertical thereof, and said separated stripcollecting means comprise shelves supported by said side panelsexternally thereof, the said last named shelves being disposed at thesame level, which level is lower than that of the first named shelf.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

